Finance Ministry denies imposing new tax on cigarettes, soft drinks

CAIRO - 16 October 2019: The Finance Ministry has denied reports about imposing a new tax on cigarettes or soft drinks to finance the comprehensive health insurance system.

In a statement posted on its official Facebook page on Tuesday, the ministry denounced these reports as baseless, saying the government is working to stabilize tax policies.

The statement noted that some news websites misinterpreted the remarks of the finance minister, in which he said that some Arab states resorted to slapping taxes on cigarettes and soft drinks when needed to increase health insurance funding.